Sunday, May 31, 2020

Local Sports Radio Use Prior Game Broadcasts

     Many South Florida sports format radio stations have reached to different alternate programming to fill in their schedules. One of the items to be used are prior sports game broadcasts by team flagship radio stations.
     560 WQAM-AM became the first local radio station to try this concept. They began programming previous Florida Panthers game broadcasts at the evening slot in March from earlier this season with play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens giving a new pregame preview of each contest. WQAM later added University of Miami football games with radio voices Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey, Jr. 
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM began to transmit Miami Heat game broadcasts in April with radio play-by-play announcer Mike Inglis. In the past two weeks, they added previous classic NFL game broadcasts from Westwood One. 
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM also went to previous game broadcasts in April. They played prior Miami Marlins 2019 season contests with play-by-play announcers Dave Van Horne and Glenn Geffner. 
     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM decided to rebroadcast contests from their new property they acquired in 2019. The station has played previous Florida Atlantic University football games that have occurred over the last couple of years with radio voice Ken LaVicka on Saturdays since early May. 

Friday, May 29, 2020

Real Radio Changing Frequencies

     Real Radio talk format on WZZR-FM in West Palm Beach will be moving down the radio dial to 92.1 FM from 94.3 FM on June 1. A Spanish language adult contemporary music format will be used on the 94.3 FM frequency.
     The Real Radio brand has some sports programming on their airwaves. They do have Westwood One broadcasts of NFL games which includes the Super Bowl and the Saturday midday program WZZR Locker Room. The Greek is part of The Penthouse midday show on Real Radio and hosts a mid-afternoon sports show on Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM in Miami.

Thursday, May 28, 2020

Nick O'Leary Put On Reserve List

     Former Miami Dolphins tight end Nick O'Leary might be near the end of his National Football League career. He is on the Las Vegas Raiders for the past two months and was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list on Thursday.
     O'Leary played tight end in high school for the Dwyer Panthers. He helped them win the FHSAA Class 4A state title in 2009. It was their first football championship in school history.
     He played college football with the Florida State University Seminoles. O'Leary contributed to the Seminoles winning the 2013 BCS National Championship over Auburn University. He received the John Mackay Award as the top tight end during his senior year in 2014.
     O'Leary, the grandson of golf legend Jack Nicklaus, was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was with them for three seasons.
     He signed with the Miami Dolphins in 2018 and played 1 1/2 seasons with them. O'Leary had 12 catches for 123 receiving yards in 19 games with the Dolphins. He finished the 2019 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Wednesday, May 27, 2020

Florida Panthers Regular Season Recap

     The Florida Panthers reached the cusp of the Stanley Cup Playoffs based on an announcement made by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Tuesday. The Panthers ended up fourth in the Atlantic Division and 10th in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. Florida will play the seventh-seed New York Islanders in the play-in round of the postseason should it occur.
     The regular season was suspended by the league back on March 12. Jonathan Huberdeau led the club with 55 assists and 78 points this season. Mike Hoffman had a team-high 29 goals while Aaron Ekblad put up a +12 plus/minus ratio. Huberdeau, Hoffman, Keith Yandle, Evgenii Dadanov, Frank Vatrano, Brett Connolly, Anton Stralman and Colton Sceviour played in all 69 regular season games this campaign for Florida.
     On the power play, Huberdeau had 29 points and 24 assists with the man advantage. Hoffman and Dadanov both shared the top spot with 11 power-play goals.
     Noel Acciari compiled a club-high five game-winning goals while Vatrano led with two shorthanded goals and points.

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Florida Panthers Make Qualifying Round

     The Florida Panthers will be part of a qualifying round best-of-five series to compete in the Stanley Cup Playoffs should the National Hockey League begin play again. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Tuesday that it was officially approved by the NHL Board of Governors and the NHL Players Association. The remaining last three weeks of the NHL regular season was eliminated.
     There was no announcement on when or where the qualifying round of the playoffs will be held. Two hub cities would host the entire playoff schedule, which will likely be one hub city per conference. It would prevent travel restrictions along with an accessible safe area to conduct games for the players.
     Both conferences would have 12 teams instead of eight teams represented for the upcoming 2019-20 postseason. The seedings of each conference would be based on winning percentages during the season.
     There will be five rounds of postseason play instead of the usual four rounds which has been used since the 1974-75 season. The top four seeds in each conference would receive a bye in the first round and play in round-robin contests. The next eight seeds of each conference will play in a best-of-five series in the qualifying round.
     The Florida Panthers ended up with the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference. They will face the seventh seed New York Islanders in a qualifying round. The winner of the series would challenge one of the top four Eastern Conference seeds in the first round.
     The Panthers have made the playoffs five different times during their franchise history prior to this season. They appeared in the postseason back in 1996, 1997, 2000, 2012 and 2016. The club has not won a playoff series since 1996 season. Florida last made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2016 and fell to the Islanders in six games during a first-round series.

Chris Moore Returns To WFAN

     Former original Florida Panthers radio voice Chris Moore returned to WFAN-AM in New York City over this past weekend. He also did work nationally on CBS Sports Radio on Saturday. Moore was furloughed by Entercom Communications back in late March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
     Moore was the radio play-by-play announcer of the Florida Panthers from 1993-94 until 1998-99. He was the radio voice of the New Jersey Devils for five seasons prior to that.
     He entered the sports talk realm as a midday co-host on 560 WQAM-AM in 1997. He teamed up with current ESPN play-by-play announcer Jon "Boog" Sciambi.

Monday, May 25, 2020

Green Bay Packers Sign Jonathan Garvin

     The Green Bay Packers have signed defensive lineman Jonathan Garvin to a deal. He was drafted by the team during the seventh round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
     Garvin played high school football with the Lake Worth Trojans. He moved on to the University of Miami Hurricanes and helped them capture the 2017 ACC Coastal Division title. Garvin was with the Hurricanes for three seasons.

Orlando Could Host NBA Season

     The Walt Disney World Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida looks like the best possible location to restart the 2019-20 NBA season. The area is around nine miles southwest of the city of Orlando. The National Basketball Association season was suspended by commissioner Adam Silver on March 11.
     There is no word if the remainder of the regular season will be scrapped. The Miami Heat would be part of the postseason if the league implements a playoff format when the season returns.

Sunday, May 24, 2020

Tiger Woods And Peyton Manning Win Golf Event

     Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning defeated Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady by one hole in a charity golf event on Sunday. It was held at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound. The event was televised nationally on TNT and TBS.
     It was the second straight Sunday that a charity golf outing was televised since the coronavirus pandemic stopped the PGA Tour. Rory McIlroy topped Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff in a skins game last weekend.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Pro Athletes Charity Golf Match

     A charity golf match will be held on Sunday at The Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound. It will be a battle between two groups from the PGA Tour and the NFL with name recognition.
     One team will have Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning while the other team will consist of Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady. Woods usually practices and plays at that particular golf club when not touring. The event will be broadcast on TNT and TBS.

Friday, May 22, 2020

New Orleans Saints Ink Anthony Chickillo

     The New Orleans Saints have agreed to a one-year deal with linebacker Anthony Chickillo for $1.047 million. He was with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the last five seasons.
     Chickillo attended and played college football with the University of Miami Hurricanes. He had 171 total tackles as a defensive lineman in four years with the Canes.

Jacksonville Jaguars Sign Shaquille Quarterman

     The Jacksonville Jaguars signed linebacker Shaquille Quarterman to a contract on Thursday. He was picked in the fourth round of the NFL Draft by the Jaguars in April.
     Quarterman played four seasons with the University of Miami Hurricanes and helped them win the 2017 ACC Coastal Division. He compiled at least 80 tackles in every season with the Hurricanes.

Sean Stanley Launching Podcast

     Local radio producer Sean Stanley will be launching a podcast on June 1. It will be called Sean Stanley Sports Talk.
     Stanley was a late morning show producer of The VIP program from March 2019 to August 2019 and an afternoon show producer from August 2019 until the end of April 2020 at 1210 The Man WNMA-AM in Miami. He had previous experience as a board operator at 560 WQAM-AM before moving across town.
     He was first noticed locally as a talk host at SportsOvertime.com and the station manager of the Miami Media School. Stanley then co-hosted a podcast and late morning show on SB Nation Radio with eventual 1210 The Man talk host Jim Rodriguez.

Thursday, May 21, 2020

Miami Marlins Players Back In Jupiter

     The Miami Marlins 40-man roster returned to their spring training facility in Jupiter, according to Andy Slater of Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM. Players began to appear on Tuesday for small group workouts.
     They were allowed to use the batting cages and mounds on the spring training grounds. They were forbidden to be in the clubhouse area and the weight room. Spring training games and practices were stopped back in mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

No Spring High School Football Games

     The coronavirus pandemic forced schools throughout the state of Florida to close down for the rest of the academic school year. It prevented high school football players from participating in spring practices on their campuses.
     South Florida spring high school football contests usually start during the middle of the third week in May. The schedule ends on the Friday prior to Memorial Day weekend.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Major League Soccer Drops All-Star Game

     Major League Soccer announced on Tuesday that they have cancelled their annual All-Star Game due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was to be played in Los Angeles on July 29 between the MLS all-atars and the Liga MX all-stars from Mexico.
     The Major League Soccer regular season was suspended on March 12. Inter Miami CF had played two games on the road to begin their inaguaral season and had their home opener held up several days before the event would occur in Fort Lauderdale.

Monday, May 18, 2020

Locals On Talkers National Sports Talk List

     Talkers Magazine issued their annual list of the top 100 sports talk programs. Several local sports show hosts did appear on that list. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz on 560 The Joe WQAM-AM and ESPN Radio finished in sixth place.
     The WQAM morning program with Joe Rose was listed in 70th place. Jeff DeForrest had his morning show on Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM end up in 72nd place while Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder were simulcasted during afternoons on 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and WQAM and landed in 74th.
     Two people with South Florida connections did show up on the list. Former University of Miami Hurricanes and Atlantic Eagles offensive lineman Orlando Franklin became a full-time co-host at KKFN-FM in Denver last year and ended up in 86th place. Former WQAM evening host Damon Amendolara made the cut at 100th place with his morning program on CBS Sports Radio.

Elijah Olaniyi Transfers To Miami

     College basketball guard Elijah Olaniyi has transferred to the University of Miami. He will have to sit out for one season due to transfer rules and be with the Hurricanes in 2021-22.
     Olaniyi had played Stony Brook University in Long Island. He averaged 18 points and 6 1/2 rebounds per game as a junior with the Seawolves.

Sunday, May 17, 2020

Rory McIlroy Wins Skins Game

     Rory McIlroy won the charity skins game held at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach. Other players involved were Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff.
     It was the first televised golf event in several months. The PGA Tour golf season was stopped back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Saturday, May 16, 2020

Dolphins Waive De'Lance Turner

     The Miami Dolphins waived running back De'Lance Turner on Saturday. Turner played eight games with the Dolphins in 2019 and compiled four rushing attempts for six yards.
     He played for the Baltimore Ravens during the 2018 seasons. He had one carry for four yards in four contests.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Golf Back On Television Sunday

     Professional golf returns and will be played in the United States on Sunday. It is a charity skins game to be played at Seminole Golf Club in Juno Beach.
     The participants will be Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff. It will be broadcast on national television at NBC.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

West Palm Beach Ratings April 2020

     The ratings for West Palm Beach sports format radio stations were released. The time span was between the end of March to third week of April.
     The coronavirus pandemic resulted in several organizations making changes in their lineups. There were no live game broadcasts and they had to mainly rely on talk shows.
     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM does not register to any ratings service and therefore there is no data. They did not have any Miami Heat game broadcasts during the period. ESPN West Palm relied on local weekday programs led by Josh Cohen and Evan Cohen.
     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained at a 0.2 for the second straight month. There were no broadcasts of Florida Atlantic University and Florida Panthers games as they depended on Andy Slater as their only local weekday show.
     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM had no Miami Marlins exhibition and regular season contests. They stayed at a 0.0 for the second straight period.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Miami Heat Players Return To Arena

     The Miami Heat began to use at their own practice facility and American Airlines Arena on Wednesday. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers were the first NBA clubs that started to have access to their own facilities last Friday.
     The National Basketball Association was the first North American professional sports league to suspend their regular season contests on March 11 by commissioner Adam Silver due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was approved that teams would be able to gain access and use team facilities again late last week.

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Miami Ratings April 2020

     Sports format radio stations monthly ratings were issued for the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area. It spanned from the end of March until three weeks into April.
     The coronavirus pandemic forced local organizations to not broadcast any live sporting events during that time and emphasize just on talk shows. There were more personnel and schedule changes among the four local entities in a very long time.
     560 The Joe WQAM-AM rose from a 0.7 to a 0.8 and ended up in first place for the ninth consecutive month. It was a tough time as Entercom Communications made job cuts due to the pandemic. WQAM released Florida Panthers radio network studio host Kevin Rogers, producer Manny Chang and weekly high school sports host Larry Blustein. South Florida High School Sports.com was eliminated by the station after a 14-year run. They did rebroadcast Florida Panthers hockey games from earlier this season several night a week with play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens making new preview segments.
     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM went from a 0.6 to a 0.4 in the period. Like their Entercom sister-station WQAM, they let go their evening show host Zach Duarte and sports anchor Trevor Murray.
     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM remained with a 0.3 for the fourth straight month. Their program director Paul Mason exited his post and moved on to Nashville at the end of the ratings period as the radio station finished third in the region for the third straight time.
     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM stayed at a 0.2 again for the third straight period. Rich Eisen was eliminated by the station on April 3 and he had been there since November 2014. Colin Cowherd was shifted to live at noon on April 6 and had been on tape delayed during afternoons there since April 2016. The Greek started his two-hour show just one hour later at 3PM and WINZ added the syndicated show Sunshine State Showdown with Brandon Kravitz and Zac Blobner at 5PM.

Brandon Jones Signs Contract With Dolphins

     Brandon Jones signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins. It is a four-year deal for around $4.87 million.
     Jones was selected by Miami in the third round with the 70th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. He played college football as a safety with the University of Texas Longhorns.

Monday, May 11, 2020

Raekwon Davis Agrees To Deal

     The Miami Dolphins inked defensive lineman Raekwon Davis to a contract. He was picked in the second round by the Dolphins in the 2020 NFL Draft.
     Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, his college teammate at the University of Alabama, signed a deal earlier in the day with the club. Miami has now signed five of their 12 selections that they made at the draft last month.

Tua Tagovailoa Signs With Miami Dolphins

     Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has signed a four-year contract with the Miami Dolphins worth $30.275 million. Miami also holds a fifth-year option on the deal. He may be the starting quarterback for the team at the start of the 2020 regular season.
     The Dolphins selected Tagovailoa fifth overall in the 2020 NFL Draft back on April 23. Tagovailoa helped the University of Alabama Crimson Tide defeat the University of Georgia Bulldogs in the 2017 CFP National Championship game during his freshman year.

American Hockey League Cancels Season

     The American Hockey League has cancelled the rest of the 2019-20 regular season and the upcoming playoffs. The Calder Cup will not be presented to the league champion this year. It has been awarded every season since 1937.
     The Florida Panthers AHL affiliation with the Springfield Thunderbirds will also end. No word on what club will be their affiliate next season, however it is expected to be Charlotte. The Panthers were in Springfield since the 2016-17 season.
     The St. Louis Blues signed a deal in early March to take over in Springfield after their AHL affiliate club in San Antonio was bought by the Vegas Golden Knights and being moved to Henderson, Nevada.

Sunday, May 10, 2020

Dolphins And Blake Ferguson Agree To Deal

     The Miami Dolphins have signed long snapper Blake Ferguson to a four-year rookie deal. Ferguson was drafted by the Dolphins in the sixth round in the 2020 NFL Draft back on April 25. He was the fourth draft pick signed by Miami in the past week.
     Ferguson played college football with the Louisiana State University Tigers. He contributed to the school winning the CFP National Championship back earlier this year.

Saturday, May 9, 2020

Teair Tart Signs With Tennessee Titans

     The Tennessee Titans signed defensive lineman Teair Tart to a deal. He was not picked in the 2020 NFL Draft and was an undrafted free agent.
     Teair played college football with Florida International University. He had 32 total tackles, 10 1/2 tackles for loss and 1 1/2 sacks in 11 games last season for the Panthers.

Friday, May 8, 2020

Dolphins Sign Several Draft Picks

     The Miami Dolphins were able to sign several of their 2020 draft picks earlier this week. The 2020 NFL Draft was held for three days from April 23 to April 25.
     The Dolphins inked fourth-round pick offensive lineman Solomon Kindley to a four-year deal worth around $4 million on Wednesday. The Fins signed fifth-round selections defensive lineman Jason Strowbridge and linebacker Curtis Weaver on Thursday.

Baltimore Ravens Sign Tyler Huntley

     The Baltimore Ravens signed undrafted free agent quarterback Tyler Huntley earlier this week. He played college football with the University of Utah Utes for four years.
     Huntley was with the Hallandale Chargers while in high school. He helped them capture the District 15-6A title in 2014 with a winner-take-all contest against current Ravens starting quarterback Lamar Jackson and the Boynton Beach Tigers. Huntley and the Chargers knocked off the two-time defending FHSAA Class 5A state champion American Heritage Patriots during a regional semifinal in 2015.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Miami Dolphins 2020 Schedule Released

     The National Football League released the schedule of all their 32 teams for the upcoming 2020 regular season on Thursday night. The Miami Dolphins saw their schedule against out-of-division opponents finalized as either home or away contests. They will play their AFC East Division rivals once in Miami and once on the road.
     The Dolphins will open up the 2020 regular season on the road against the New England Patriots. The Fins defeated the Patriots in their home finale last season and forced the Pats to play a game in the AFC wild-card round.
     Miami will host their home opener the following week versus the Buffalo Bills. Week 3 has Miami playing a Thursday night game in Jacksonville against the Jaguars.
     After a home game facing the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4, they head out west in consecutive away games against the NFC champion San Francisco 49ers in Week 5 and the Denver Broncos in Week 6.
     They return home and take on both Los Angeles NFL clubs for two striaght games. The Fins host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 7 and the Los Angeles Rams in Week 8.
     The Dolphins visit the Arizona Cardinals in Week 9, host the New York Jets in Week 10 and have a bye week for Week 11. They finish a home-and-home series with the Jets in New York the following week.
     Miami is then slated for three consecutive home games. They have the Cincinnati Bengals(Week 13), the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs(Week 14) and the New England Patriots(Week 15).
     The Fins will play in Las Vegas for the first time ever and challenge the Raiders in Week 16 and finish the regular season on the road versus the Buffalo Bills.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Highly Questionable Shortened

     ESPN has decided to make several changes to their weekday lineup. Highly Questionable with Dan Le Batard will be shortened from 30 minutes to 20 minutes as of May 11. It will be broadcast from 4:20PM to 4:40PM.
     He continues his ESPN Radio midday show with Stugotz and his producing crew, known as the Shipping Container. Le Batard launched Highly Questionable on ESPN television in September 2011 and joined ESPN Radio in September 2013. Le Batard and Stugotz began to host their radio program on Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in August 2004.

Tua Tagovailoa Wearing Number 1 Jersey

     Miami Dolphins new quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will be wearing the number 1 jersey when the 2020 season begins. He was drafted fifth overall in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the Dolphins back on April 23.
     Tagovailoa wore the number 13 uniform while playing college football with the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. The Dolphins retired the number 13 jersey of Dan Marino on September 17, 2000. Marino was with Miami from 1983 until 1999 and has set all the franchise records for a quarterback.

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Las Vegas Raiders Sign Sam Young

     Former St. Thomas Aquinas offensive lineman Sam Young signed a deal with the Las Vegas Raiders. Young has been around the National Football League for the last 10 seasons.
     He played for the Miami Dolphins for three seasons from 2016 to 2018 and participated in 30 games with the Dolphins. Young has also been with the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills, Jacksonville Jaguars and San Francisco 49ers.
     Young was with the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders for three years following his freshman season with Pine Crest. The Raiders lost the FHSAA Class 5A state championship game in 2004 and 2005 to the Lakeland Dreadnaughts.

Frank Gore Heads To New York Jets

     Running back Frank Gore has joined the New York Jets and agreed to a one-year deal. He reunites former Miami Dolphins head coach and current Jets head coach Adam Gase. He is currently fourth all-time in NFL history with 15,347 rushing yards. 
     Gore played for the Coral Gables Cavaliers while in high school and was with the University of Miami Hurricanes for four years. He helped the Hurricanes win the 2001 National Championship as they dominated the University of Nebraska Huskers 37-14 in the Rose Bowl for their fifth title in school history. 
     He was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft and played his first nine seasons of his NFL career with them. He contributed to the Niners taking the 2012 NFC Championship and falling to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII. 
     After a three-year stay with the Indianapolis Colts, Gore returned to South Florida and joined the Miami Dolphins for the 2018 season. He started in 14 games and compiled 156 carries for 722 rushing yards. Gore was with the Buffalo Bills and had 599 rushing yards last year. 

Florida Panthers Sign Grigori Denisenko

     The Florida Panthers have signed Grigori Denisenko to a three-year, entry-level contract. He was selected 15th overall by the Panthers in the first round of the 2018 NHL Draft.
     Denisenko played with Yaroslavl Locomotiv in the KHL last season and compiled 12 points in 38 games. He was with Loco Yaroslavl in the MHL junior league in Russia for three years prior to that. Dnisenko put together 47 points in 63 games during a three-year span.

Miami Dolphins Not In London This Year

     The National Football League made an announcement on Monday that there will be no international played outside of the United States for the 2020 season. It was due to the coronavirus pandemic that has affected the entire planet.
     The Miami Dolphins was supposed to host a game in London, England against an unnamed opponent for the upcoming season. Miami will play eight home games at Hard Rock Stadium this year.

Monday, May 4, 2020

Don Shula Passes Away

     Longtime Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula passed away on Monday at the age of 90. He was the winningest head coach in National Football League history with 347 victories. He won 328 regular season games and 19 playoff contests. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
     Shula was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins for 26 seasons from 1970 until 1995. He led the club to their only Super Bowl championships in franchise history. Shula also got them to capture 11 AFC East Divsion titles. He had only two losing seasons in 33 years head coaching in the NFL.
     The Dolphins became the first team to go undefeated with a perfect 17-0 record and defeated the Washington Redskins 14-7 in Super Bowl VII at Los Angeles. They repeated as champions with a 24-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl VIII at Houston.
     The Dolphins won five AFC Championships while he was at the helm. The Fins lost in Super Bowl VI to the Dallas Cowboys 24-3, Super Bowl XVII to the Washington Redskins 27-17 and Super Bowl XIX to the San Francisco 49ers 38-16.
     The Dolphins franchise has not been to a Super Bowl in 35 years and to the AFC championship game since 1992. Miami has won just two division titles since he retired in 1995.
     One of the biggest honors bestowed to him by Miami-Dade County was a road called the Don Shula Expressway. The annual college football game between Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University was named the Shula Bowl.
     Shula was a head coach of the Baltimore Colts from 1963 to 1969 prior to his arrival in Miami. He guided the Colts to an NFL championship in 1968 and then were upset by the New York Jets 16-7 in Super Bowl III at the Orange Bowl in Miami. They also made it to the NFL championship contest in 1964 and fell to the Cleveland Browns.

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Kansas City Chiefs Sign Taco Charlton

     The Kansas City Chiefs signed defensive end Taco Charlton to a one-year deal worth $825,000. He was put on waivers by the Miami Dolphins on Thursday.
     Charlton played with the Dolphins last season. He compiled a club-leading five sacks and 14 solo tackles in 10 games with the Fins. Charlton was with the Dallas Cowboys for two years prior to arriving in Miami.

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Corban Knight Staying In KHL

     Corbin Knight has decided to remain in the Kontinental Hockey League. He signed a two-year contract with Avangard and spent last season with Barys Nur-Sultan in the KHL.
     Knight spent some time with the Florida Panthers during the 2015-16. He compiled two goals and five assists in 20 games that season.

Dion Sims Retires

     Fomer Miami Dolphins tight end Dion Sims retired on Friday. He was drafted by the Fins in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL Draft.
     Sims played for the Dolphins from 2013 until 2016. His best season was his final year in Miami with 26 receptions for 256 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
     He was with the Chicago Bears in 2017 and 2018. Sims had 91 catches for 888 receiving yards and nine touchdowns during his NFL career.

Friday, May 1, 2020

Miami Dolphins Trade Charles Harris

     The Miami Dolphins have traded defensive end Charles Harris to the Atlanta Falcons for a 2021 seventh-round draft pick. He was a first-round pick by Miami in the 2017 NFL Draft and was taken 22nd overall.
     Harris was with the Dolphins for the last three seasons. He played in 41 games during his brief NFL career and compiled 34 solo tackles along with 3 1/2 sacks.

NASCAR Returning

     NASCAR made an announcement that they will be racing live at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina on May 17. It is expected to be the first national sporting event from a North American professional sports league to be on the radio airwaves in two months. Most professional organizations suspended their seasons and games by March 12.
     The Motor Racing Network will have the radio broadcast of the event. It will be aired locally on Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM.